Hello and the biggest of welcomes to damppebbles. It’s Tuesday which means it’s time for this week’s Top Ten Tuesday post. I’ve decided to occasionally (that’s the keyword here, occasionally!) take part in That Artsy Reader Girl’s Top Ten Tuesday meme. The meme was originally created by The Broke and the Bookish but has lived with Jana at That Artsy Reader Girl since January 2018. It was created to encompass a love of books, of lists and to bring readers together. If you would also like to take part then you’re very welcome: the more, the merrier. Just make sure you link back to Jana’s post every week. If you don’t have a blog then no problem, just add your list to the comments below.

It’s my fourth week of participating in Top Ten Tuesday and so far I’m loving it! Week one was a blinder, week two, there was a tiny short-fall, and for week three I decided to do something COMPLETELY different. But that’s okay. Jana suggests putting your own spin on each week’s topic and having spoken to a few other regular participants it seems perfectly okay to not always meet the full brief. I just hope you, lovely visitor, are having as much fun as I am with these bookish lists!

So, week four and I can’t help but feel that this is going to be one of the easiest lists I compile (it’s just a copy and paste of my reading diary!).

This week’s topic is: Books on my Spring 2024 TBR. Regular visitors to the blog who read my WWW Wednesday post, look away now as here are the next ten books I plan to read over the next couple of months:

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1. The In Crowd by Charlotte Vassell
Some people are in

On the last Saturday in August, politicos and socialites trade tidbits of gossip and sips of Pimm’s under the tasteful bunting of a Richmond garden party. They’d never guess that the police are just a stone’s throw away, pulling a body out of the river Thames.

Some people wish they were

The drowning appears to be a tragic accident – until Detective Caius Beauchamp gets an unexpected tip. The victim, it seems, had enemies in high places. Did being on the wrong side of them get her killed?

Either way, being out is absolute murder

Charlotte Vassell is a new author to me and I’m really looking forward to reading her next book (publishes 4th April 2024). Entitlement and murder, yes please!

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2. The Intruders by Louise Jensen
The perfect opportunity…

A manor house available rent-free to house-sitters is an offer too good to miss for Cass and James, who have been saving for a deposit on their own home for so long.

Although it had been abandoned for almost thirty years, after a home invasion left almost all the inhabitants dead, it is an amazing chance for them to build their future.

But is it worth the price?

Shortly after moving in things take a sinister turn. Objects disappear and turn up in odd places, the clock always stops at the same time, the house is strangely oppressive and sometimes it feels like Cass and James are not alone.

Newington House may have bad energy, and a dark reputation. But surely there’s no reason for history to repeat itself, is there?

Louise Jensen is one of my favourite psychological thrillers authors so I CANNOT WAIT to get stuck in to The Intruders (out 11th April 2024)

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3. Five Bad Deeds by Caz Frear
ONE WOMAN’S SECRET
TWO SIDES TO EVERY STORY
THREE DEADLY BETRAYALS
FOUR POTENTIAL SUSPECTS
FIVE BAD DEEDS

Ellen Walsh has done something very, very bad. If only she knew what it was . . .

Teacher, mother, wife, and all-around good citizen Ellen is juggling non-stop commitments, from raising a teen and two toddlers to job-hunting, to finally renovating her dream home, the Meadowhouse. Amidst the chaos, an ominous note arrives in the mail declaring:

SOONER OR LATER EVERYONE SITS DOWN TO A BANQUET OF CONSEQUENCES.

Why would someone send her this note? Ellen has no clue. She’s no angel – a white lie here and there, an occasional sharp tongue – but nothing to incur the wrath of an anonymous enemy.
Everyone around Ellen – her husband, her teenage daughter, her sister, her best friend, her neighbours – can guess why, though.  They all know from bitter experience that while Ellen’s intentions are always good, this ultimately counts for very little when you’ve (unintentionally?) blown up someone’s life.  Could the five bad deeds that come to haunt Ellen explain why things have gone so horribly wrong?

As she races to discover who’s set on destroying her life, Ellen receives more anonymous messages, each one more threatening than the last . . . and each hitting closer and closer to home and everything she cherishes.

I’ve read and loved Caz’s Cat Kinsella trilogy so I’m very excited about this one. It has been on my NetGalley shelf the longest though (downloaded in October 2023 and will be published in April 2024)

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4. The Underhistory by Kaaron Warren
People come to visit my home and I love to show them around. It’s not the original house of course. That was destroyed the day my entire family died. But I don’t think their ghosts know the difference.

Pera Sinclair was nine the day the pilot intentionally crashed his plane into her family’s grand home, killing everyone inside. She was the girl who survived the tragedy, a sympathetic oddity, growing stranger by the day. Over the decades she rebuilt the huge and rambling building on the original site, recreating what she had lost, each room telling a piece of the story of her life and that of the many people who died there, both before and after the disaster. Her sister, murdered a hundred miles away. The soldier, broken by war. Death follows Pera, and she welcomes it in as an old friend. And while she doesn’t believe in ghosts, she’s not above telling a ghost story or two to those who come to visit Sinclair House.

As Pera shows a young family around her home on the last haunted house tour of the season, an unexpected group of men arrive. One she recognises, but the others are strangers. But she knows their type all too well. Dangerous men, who will hurt the family without a second thought, and who will keep an old woman alive only so long as she is useful. But as she begins to show them around her home and reveal its secrets, the dangerous men will learn that she is far from helpless. After all, death seems to follow her wherever she goes…

Sinister and lyrical, The Underhistory is a haunting tale of loss, self-preservation and the darkness beneath.

Oooh, that cover! Absolutely love the sound of this one. It’s out in April 2024 and was only added to my TBR in the last week or so. I’m pretty sure this is the third book on my TBR that will be published on Thursday 11th April so look out for my review around publication day (give or take a week!).

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5. Butter by Asako Yuzuki
There are two things that I can simply not tolerate: feminists and margarine.

Gourmet cook Manako Kajii sits in Tokyo Detention Centre convicted of the serial murders of lonely businessmen, who she is said to have seduced with her delicious home cooking. The case has captured the nation’s imagination but Kajii refuses to speak with the press, entertaining no visitors. That is, until journalist Rika Machida writes a letter asking for her recipe for beef stew and Kajii can’t resist writing back.

Rika, the only woman in her news office, works late each night, rarely cooking more than ramen. As the visits unfold between her and the steely Kajii, they are closer to a masterclass in food than journalistic research. Rika hopes this gastronomic exchange will help her soften Kajii but it seems that she might be the one changing. With each meal she eats, something is awakening in her body, might she and Kaji have more in common than she once thought?

Inspired by the real case of the convicted con woman and serial killer, “The Konkatsu Killer”, Asako Yuzuki’s Butter is a vivid, unsettling exploration of misogyny, obsession, romance and the transgressive pleasures of food in Japan.

This is one of my own books, a gift from my son for Mother’s Day a couple of weeks ago. I have been salivating over this one! 😋 I’m such a fan of translated crime fiction in general but if it’s Japanese crime fiction then here, take my money (or my husband’s in this case!). This one is out now and the cover is GORGEOUS!

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6. The Lifeline by Libby Page
Everybody needs saving sometimes…

For Kate, having a newborn baby means she is almost never alone. But that doesn’t mean she isn’t lonely. The move from London to Somerset with her husband Jay was supposed be the start of an exciting new chapter. But sometimes she can’t help but wonder if she turned the pages too soon . . .

Phoebe needs help. As a mental health nurse serving her community, the wellbeing of her patients has always come before her own. Yet there’s only so long she can pour from an empty cup.

Looking for a lifeline, Kate and Phoebe find a sense of community – and each other – through their local river swimming group. But when things get tough, they realise that good friends can both raise us up and stop us sinking.

Not my usual genre but the lovely publisher sent me a copy and I thought – why the heck not?! I’ve only seen good things about the author’s other books and I would like to broaden my bookish horizons a little.

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7. How to Kill with Kindness by S.R. Masters
The village of Nether Appleford calls itself ‘England’s Kindest Village’. Overseen by the Kindness Committee, this close-knit community strives to live their lives with kindness at the heart of everything they do.

For Tessa and Andy, this sounds like the perfect escape. An opportunity to settle down and move on from a past that haunts them.

But what if the kindest thing you could do meant hurting someone? Then what would you do?

This will be the third book by this author that I’ve read, encouraged by that highly intriguing blurb. It’s described as ‘creepy’ and as having ‘a Stepford vibe’ so I’ve got a good feeling about it. Publishes in digital format in late April (paperback in May2024)

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8. The Puppet Master by Sam Holland
He watches your every move
We’ve all experienced it. That creeping sensation of eyes on your back, the faint echo of footsteps following yours.

He controls you
Across the country, a madman is carefully choosing his victims. Once he has you in his sights, he won’t let go.

He will make you pay
You think you’re in control of your own life? Think again. Because The Puppet Master is coming for you, and he won’t stop until you’re dead…

This will be the third book by this author I’ve read as well. I don’t think I loved the first book in the series as much as everyone else did. I ADORED the second book though – it made it onto my top books of the year list. Looking forward to seeing where this one lands. Publishes on 9th May 2024.

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9. Estella’s Revenge by Barbara Havelocke
You know Miss Havisham.

The world’s most famous jilted bride.

This is her daughter’s story.

Raised in the darkness of Satis House where the clocks never tick, the beautiful Estella is bred to hate men and to keep her heart cold as the grave.

She knows she doesn’t feel things quite like other people do but is this just the result of her strange upbringing?

As she watches the brutal treatment of women around her, hatred hardens into a core of vengeance and when she finds herself married to the abusive Drummle, she is forced to make a deadly choice:

Should she embrace the darkness within her and exact her revenge?

A stunningly original, gripping Gothic read, perfect for fans of Stacey Halls, Madeline Miller and Jessie Burton.

This is one of the most beautiful covers of the year, without a doubt. Barbara Havelocke is actually one of my favourite authors, Barbara Copperthwaite, writing under a different name. I love Barbara’s psychological thrillers so excited to read this one. Publishes in May 2024.

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10. God of the Woods by Liz Moore
Some said it was tragic, what happened to the Van Laars.

Some said the Van Laars deserved it. That they never even thanked the searchers who stayed out for five nights in the freezing forest trying to help find their missing son.

Some said there was a reason it took the family so long to call for help. That they knew what happened to the boy.

Now, fifteen years later, the daughter the family had in their grief has gone missing in the same wilderness as her brother. Some say the two disappearances aren’t connected.

Some say they are.

Pretty much everything on this list is set to be published – and reviewed by me – in April or May. The one exception being Butter…and this one. This is due to be published in July 2024 and if all goes to plan (by which I mean, I’ll be months ahead in my planned reading) then this should (*should*) be a part of my Spring TBR. Chances are I’ll be reading it the week before it’s due to be published if current circumstances are anything to go by but we can hope! Love the cover, think the blurb sounds *chefs kiss* and I’m really looking forward to it.

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The easiest list I’ve created so far. I didn’t even need to think about it this time 😂. That’s my planned reading for the next couple of months. Quite a few you would expect. Maybe one, or perhaps two, you wouldn’t…? I’m very much looking forward to all of them. Something else I’m looking forward to and that’s the weather improving. C’mon Spring, where are you? Here in the UK it’s been a very wet and dreary Winter and we now deserve some warmer days and lighter evenings. Bring it on!

Have you read any of these books? Are you taking part in Top Ten Tuesday this week? Are there any books on my list which have taken your fancy? Perhaps you’ve put a sneaky lil’ pre-order in (because let’s face it, none of them – apart from Butter – are currently available!🤦) Let me know in the comments.

So there we have it! If you fancy joining in next week then head on over to That Artsy Reader Girl’s blog to find out what the next topic is!